Romance Author & Ghostwriter

The Authors’ Oracle Questionnaire: The Emperor

Another update in the Author Oracle Questionnaire response series! Slowly but surely, I’m getting through all the questions. You can find the second response I gave (The Empress) here, and the original questionnaire here!

IV. The Emperor: Do you outline or plan? (You know … plotter or pantser…)

I’m a plotter, through and through. All of my books begin in a huge spiral-bound notebook where I write out the basics and all the random ideas I have for the plot. In there, I work through the book from start to finish in general sense. Afterward, I write out plots for each chapter in detail. Only then do I begin to write the story itself.

Prime example below:

It’s not that I’m not flexible with my plots, however. If something isn’t working or I need to eliminate a chapter, I’m happy to do it. I was a pantser once, but looking back on those stories, it seems to take a really long time for there to be any direction. This just works better for me.

What about you guys? Where do you fall on the plotter-pantser continuum?

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2 thoughts on “The Authors’ Oracle Questionnaire: The Emperor”

It depends on the book for me. There is always some form of plan down, somewhere. It ranges from 4 sentences to detailed plot point by plot point outlines. The three written Infernal Hunt books all had pretty loose outlines. Book 4 however is being written non-linearly and is a jigsaw puzzle. I wrote down the key points in my planning book then wrote the one/s that called to me in that moment. Editing will be fun! lol